Monday 29 October 2012
Jar of Hearts
Can't stop playing this song this week! I'm not really sure why, as it's not really that good a song, and some of the lyrics are quite silly. It's also not a new song for me, so I'm not really sure why I've suddenly decided now that I love it. Ah well. There's obviously just something about it!
Edinburgh Castle by Night
Two of my good friends have an absolutely fantastic view of Edinburgh Castle from their living room window, so a little while ago I went to photograph it, by night. I took my camera, tripod, remote release and spirit level and changed shutter speeds and aperture until I found an exposure I liked. Once I'd done that I opened the living room window and took my final shots. I wanted to get as much right as I could with the window closed because it was a cold night! The castle is always beautifully lit up at night and I manged to get a shot I really like. Here it is:
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Books
As previously mentioned I like to re-read old childhood favorites. I've been working my way through the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and the latest one was By the Shores of Silver Lake. I really enjoyed re-reading this. I love her writing style with its little, intimate details, and I'm always so impressed by the ingenuity, self-sufficiency and determination people had back then. In this one Laura and her family leave Plum Creek and head out West again. When they first arrive at their destination there's nothing there. But then the town appears, pretty much in the space of two weeks. Amazing! Development in action. The wild birds and wolves leave. How sad. Laura also describes going to see the railroad being built. Wow. It's very impressive stuff. Bit of a change going from agricultural ingenuity to industrial ingenuity. A very enjoyable and interesting read, and a testament to the achievements of man.
Next, The English Patient, by Michael Ondaajte. I decided to read this because I'd enjoyed the film and thought I'd enjoy the book, and I have to say that I really did. The writing style reminds me of Louis de Bernieres, only not funny. It's extremely beautiful in places. It's about a young Canadian nurse, Hana, at the end of the second world war who is taking care of a mysterious patient with no identity in war torn Italy, because he's too ill to be moved. The two of them are joined by Kip, a young Indian sapper and Caravaggio, a fellow Canadian and friend of Hana's father's. The English patient is not all he seems, in fact he's not even English. Gradually his story comes out and he tells the young nurse about his time spent in the Sahara desert, and the woman he loved, and how he came to be so badly burned. Mostly I loved this book. The story is original, and I love the writing style. However, the end is fairly unsatisfactory, in that there isn't really a proper end, and there are a few bits of the book that I just found silly and self indulgent, such as Hana talking to Kip and then she pours milk on his arm. What? That's just silly. Unless there's something deeply symbolic I'm missing here? Or when Caravaggion commits a robbery in the nude. Why on Earth would he do that? Or when Hana helps Kip dismantle a mine and then decides she wants to have a nap on his chest. Well that's not exactly realistic, is it? There'd be far too much adrenaline for napping. Still, despite the odd bits, it's a thought-provoking and beautiful book.
And finally, Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett. This is the 31st book in the Discworld series, of which I am a big fan. It's about a young girl called Polly who disguises herself as a boy so she can join the army and search for her brother. She slowly discovers that all the other recruits in her regiment are also all women, who have disguised themselves as men and run away for various reasons. She also discovers that her country is losing the war she believed they were winning. Eventually, of course, her regiment is victorious, with the help of a minor goddess, and peace breaks out. She and her fellow troops are also found out, but her Sergeant saves them from trouble by revealing that several of the military's top officials are also women in disguise. I don't read Terry Pratchett for the plot, but more for the larger-than-life characters and the hilarious writing style, and this one didn't disappoint in that sense. The plot was a bit dodgy in places, such as discovering a band of dead zombie generals in the basement of the fort, but the writing style was brilliant. And I always love the little, clever touches he puts into his books, such as naming the main character Polly, and her male alter-ego Oliver (as in the song about sweet Polly Oliver), and calling the book Monstrous Regiment, as in John Knox's tract The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Montrous Regimen of Women. Very clever. Another hit from Mr. Pratchett.
Next, The English Patient, by Michael Ondaajte. I decided to read this because I'd enjoyed the film and thought I'd enjoy the book, and I have to say that I really did. The writing style reminds me of Louis de Bernieres, only not funny. It's extremely beautiful in places. It's about a young Canadian nurse, Hana, at the end of the second world war who is taking care of a mysterious patient with no identity in war torn Italy, because he's too ill to be moved. The two of them are joined by Kip, a young Indian sapper and Caravaggio, a fellow Canadian and friend of Hana's father's. The English patient is not all he seems, in fact he's not even English. Gradually his story comes out and he tells the young nurse about his time spent in the Sahara desert, and the woman he loved, and how he came to be so badly burned. Mostly I loved this book. The story is original, and I love the writing style. However, the end is fairly unsatisfactory, in that there isn't really a proper end, and there are a few bits of the book that I just found silly and self indulgent, such as Hana talking to Kip and then she pours milk on his arm. What? That's just silly. Unless there's something deeply symbolic I'm missing here? Or when Caravaggion commits a robbery in the nude. Why on Earth would he do that? Or when Hana helps Kip dismantle a mine and then decides she wants to have a nap on his chest. Well that's not exactly realistic, is it? There'd be far too much adrenaline for napping. Still, despite the odd bits, it's a thought-provoking and beautiful book.
And finally, Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett. This is the 31st book in the Discworld series, of which I am a big fan. It's about a young girl called Polly who disguises herself as a boy so she can join the army and search for her brother. She slowly discovers that all the other recruits in her regiment are also all women, who have disguised themselves as men and run away for various reasons. She also discovers that her country is losing the war she believed they were winning. Eventually, of course, her regiment is victorious, with the help of a minor goddess, and peace breaks out. She and her fellow troops are also found out, but her Sergeant saves them from trouble by revealing that several of the military's top officials are also women in disguise. I don't read Terry Pratchett for the plot, but more for the larger-than-life characters and the hilarious writing style, and this one didn't disappoint in that sense. The plot was a bit dodgy in places, such as discovering a band of dead zombie generals in the basement of the fort, but the writing style was brilliant. And I always love the little, clever touches he puts into his books, such as naming the main character Polly, and her male alter-ego Oliver (as in the song about sweet Polly Oliver), and calling the book Monstrous Regiment, as in John Knox's tract The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Montrous Regimen of Women. Very clever. Another hit from Mr. Pratchett.
Childhood Favorites
Recently I've been watching kids' films that I used to love but hadn't seen in a while. I'd like to share my thoughts on them. First up, The King and I.
This is one of those films that just about everyone watches at school, and then we all have to sing the songs from it. I hadn't seen it since then. It's the film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which was based on the Margaret Landon novel, Anna and the King of Siam, which in turn was based on Anna Leonowens' memoirs. The film stars Deborrah Kerr, as Anna Leonowens, the school teacher to the children of the King of Siam, and Yul Brynner as the King. It's a good musical, the story is interesting and the portrait of the Siamese court is rich but what really made the film for me was Yul Brynner's performance. His Oscar-winning portrayal of the King is so appealing. I did find the ending a bit weak though. Anna is mean to the King so he gets ill and dies, the end. But a good film, all in all.
Next, Return to Oz. Weird 80s kids' films are my favorites! So I was always going to love this. Rather than being a sequel to the 1939 film, it looks completely different. It's based on an amalgamation of the later Oz books by L. Frank Baum, of which I was a fan when I was younger. It sees Dorothy return to the land of Oz but everything has changed. The Nome king has stolen the ruby slippers, taken over Oz and turned everyone to stone. Dorothy has to defeat him and the evil witch Mombi and save the day, while making lots of new friends on the way. It's a very imaginative and well-made film, with some genuinely scary characters and moments. Love it!
And finally, Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Is it just me, or were films far more imaginative back in the 80s? It's about an eccentric inventor whose machine accidently shrinks his children to tiny sizes. They get swept up and thrown away, and have to make their way back across the garden, dodging all sorts of obstacles that would have presented no problem at all if they were their normal size, such as ants, bees, the lawnmower and very small puddles or water. The film is very well done and enjoyable and brings back fond memories of playing in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at the MGM studios in Florida when I was little.
This is one of those films that just about everyone watches at school, and then we all have to sing the songs from it. I hadn't seen it since then. It's the film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which was based on the Margaret Landon novel, Anna and the King of Siam, which in turn was based on Anna Leonowens' memoirs. The film stars Deborrah Kerr, as Anna Leonowens, the school teacher to the children of the King of Siam, and Yul Brynner as the King. It's a good musical, the story is interesting and the portrait of the Siamese court is rich but what really made the film for me was Yul Brynner's performance. His Oscar-winning portrayal of the King is so appealing. I did find the ending a bit weak though. Anna is mean to the King so he gets ill and dies, the end. But a good film, all in all.
Next, Return to Oz. Weird 80s kids' films are my favorites! So I was always going to love this. Rather than being a sequel to the 1939 film, it looks completely different. It's based on an amalgamation of the later Oz books by L. Frank Baum, of which I was a fan when I was younger. It sees Dorothy return to the land of Oz but everything has changed. The Nome king has stolen the ruby slippers, taken over Oz and turned everyone to stone. Dorothy has to defeat him and the evil witch Mombi and save the day, while making lots of new friends on the way. It's a very imaginative and well-made film, with some genuinely scary characters and moments. Love it!
And finally, Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Is it just me, or were films far more imaginative back in the 80s? It's about an eccentric inventor whose machine accidently shrinks his children to tiny sizes. They get swept up and thrown away, and have to make their way back across the garden, dodging all sorts of obstacles that would have presented no problem at all if they were their normal size, such as ants, bees, the lawnmower and very small puddles or water. The film is very well done and enjoyable and brings back fond memories of playing in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at the MGM studios in Florida when I was little.
Tuesday 9 October 2012
St. Andrews
I went to St. Andrews for a look around and to take a few pictures. I had a very nice time looking round the pretty town and had a very nice lunch. The wintery light was quite harsh, but I managed to get a few shots of the sea that I liked. I didn't really do anything special to get these, just used an ND grad filter to keep some of the colour in the sky.
Taken on the beach, with the town behind
See the seagulls sitting on the darker rock behind?
Saturday 6 October 2012
My Favorite Android Games
The idea for this entry was inspired by (Ok, blatantly stolen from) my good friend Graeme, who has his blog here. He reviews his favorite Android games in this this entry. So I thought I'd do mine too! In no particular order, let's dive right in.
Firstly, Angry Birds. Yes, ok, this is a very obvious choice, but I can't help it! I love it. It's a great game. You get to catapult cute little birds that make funny noises at green pigs. You get to knock down buildings and smash lots of glass. It's clever, challenging and entertaining. Ok, some parts of it get a bit repetitive, but mostly they keep bringing in enough new ideas to keep me interested. And when you do finish it there are other newer versions to keep you going, like Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Space.
Next up, Doodlejump. Again, another fairly obvious choice that I'm sure most people will have played by now. Basically you control a doodled little creature thing and make it climb up the screen by jumping and using little platforms as steps. There are various items to catch that give you height bonuses, and various enemies and obstacles to shoot and avoid. It's controlled entirely by tilting the phone. I don't know about anyone else, but playing this it blows my mind at how sensitive my phone is. Amazing! Very simple game, very cute and highly addictive!
Next, Temple Run. Another popular one. You control an Indiana Jones type character, running away from enemies along crumbly temple walls. You make your explorer jump, duck, turn and balance by a combination of tilting the phone and swiping your finger, and there are coins to collect along the way as well. The game also gives you different objectives to reach as you go along, such as running a certain distance, or collecting a certain number of coins. Again, a simple game and highly addictive! The only issue I have with this one is that the controls could do with being more sensitive. It's very irritating when you die because you tried to jump and the phone thinks you were turning.
Next up, Unblock me. A more intellectual game here. You're given some wooden blocks laid either vertically or horizontally. There is also a red block. The object is to move the red block the hole in the wall on one side of the board. In order to do that you need to move the other blocks out of the way. The vertical blocks can only be moved up and down and the horizontal blocks can only be moved from side to side. Hours of fun! Some of the levels are really hard! It's a great work-out for the brain. Mine needs one sometimes.
And now, Ninjump. This is a great one. Again, very simple and very addictive. You control a little ninja who's climbing up the space between two buildings. There are various enemies to watch out for, either jumping out of their way onto the opposite building, or jumping into them to kill them. If you kill the same type of enemy three times in a row you get a height bonus. It's all controlled by finger taps and just like Doodlejump, the aim is to get as high as you can. Again simple and addictive. I quite like how the rise of smart phones has amde simple games popular again. Most of the other video games you see these days and so complex.
And finally, Quell Reflect. This is the only game Graeme and I have in common as a favorite, and in fact I discovered it after reading his blog entry. It's a great game. A real brain challenge. Sadly it's not free but it's worth it! The music and look of the game are just beautiful and it's a real brain challenge. When playing through it I sometimes took three days over one puzzle. You move a drop of water around the scren trying to collect pearls and avoid obstacles. All the levels are pretty unique. There seems to be a different new type of obstacle or aid in every level. The only thing I have against it is that's too small! Only took me a couple of months to complete.
GAME ON! ;)
Firstly, Angry Birds. Yes, ok, this is a very obvious choice, but I can't help it! I love it. It's a great game. You get to catapult cute little birds that make funny noises at green pigs. You get to knock down buildings and smash lots of glass. It's clever, challenging and entertaining. Ok, some parts of it get a bit repetitive, but mostly they keep bringing in enough new ideas to keep me interested. And when you do finish it there are other newer versions to keep you going, like Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Space.
Next up, Doodlejump. Again, another fairly obvious choice that I'm sure most people will have played by now. Basically you control a doodled little creature thing and make it climb up the screen by jumping and using little platforms as steps. There are various items to catch that give you height bonuses, and various enemies and obstacles to shoot and avoid. It's controlled entirely by tilting the phone. I don't know about anyone else, but playing this it blows my mind at how sensitive my phone is. Amazing! Very simple game, very cute and highly addictive!
Next, Temple Run. Another popular one. You control an Indiana Jones type character, running away from enemies along crumbly temple walls. You make your explorer jump, duck, turn and balance by a combination of tilting the phone and swiping your finger, and there are coins to collect along the way as well. The game also gives you different objectives to reach as you go along, such as running a certain distance, or collecting a certain number of coins. Again, a simple game and highly addictive! The only issue I have with this one is that the controls could do with being more sensitive. It's very irritating when you die because you tried to jump and the phone thinks you were turning.
Next up, Unblock me. A more intellectual game here. You're given some wooden blocks laid either vertically or horizontally. There is also a red block. The object is to move the red block the hole in the wall on one side of the board. In order to do that you need to move the other blocks out of the way. The vertical blocks can only be moved up and down and the horizontal blocks can only be moved from side to side. Hours of fun! Some of the levels are really hard! It's a great work-out for the brain. Mine needs one sometimes.
And now, Ninjump. This is a great one. Again, very simple and very addictive. You control a little ninja who's climbing up the space between two buildings. There are various enemies to watch out for, either jumping out of their way onto the opposite building, or jumping into them to kill them. If you kill the same type of enemy three times in a row you get a height bonus. It's all controlled by finger taps and just like Doodlejump, the aim is to get as high as you can. Again simple and addictive. I quite like how the rise of smart phones has amde simple games popular again. Most of the other video games you see these days and so complex.
And finally, Quell Reflect. This is the only game Graeme and I have in common as a favorite, and in fact I discovered it after reading his blog entry. It's a great game. A real brain challenge. Sadly it's not free but it's worth it! The music and look of the game are just beautiful and it's a real brain challenge. When playing through it I sometimes took three days over one puzzle. You move a drop of water around the scren trying to collect pearls and avoid obstacles. All the levels are pretty unique. There seems to be a different new type of obstacle or aid in every level. The only thing I have against it is that's too small! Only took me a couple of months to complete.
GAME ON! ;)
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